A global company that produces rubber and metal parts for the automotive and other industries is moving to Northville Township, investing $6.9 million and creating about 80 jobs, officials say.

Zhongding USA hopes by late April to begin construction of its two-story, 30,000-square foot North American Technical Center northwest of Five Mile and Beck roads, said Michael Lam, Zhongding's engineer director. The company expects to move in during the first quarter of 2019, he said.

The company plans to house several divisions there, including sales, marketing, engineering, testing and research and development as it shifts from its current location in Monroe.

Zhongding's decision ushers in another component of the Michigan International Technology Center, an emerging high-tech, research and development corridor along Five Mile Road in Northville and Plymouth townships.

Northville Township Supervisor Bob Nix said Zhongding's decision brings research and development and other high-tech skills to a section of the MITC that is ready for business.

"This is the first piece of the puzzle," he said.

Nix said the MITC is regional in scope and is eventually expected to create more than 6,000 jobs.

"This will bring value to both townships. People will want to live here and buy houses here," he said, adding that new development also brings in new tax revenues.

Zhongding's project is getting a boost from a $650,000 performance-based grant from the Michigan Business Development Program to assist in building the North American Technology Center, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Lam said the Northville Township site eventually will become Zhongding's North America headquarters as it shifts operations from Monroe to Northville Township.

Zhongding has two other Michigan facilities: Michigan Rubber Products, Inc., in Cadillac and ZD Metal Products, Inc., in Petoskey. The company also has locations in Delaware and Massachusetts.

Zhongding Group was founded in Ningguo, China, in 1980 and has grown into a multinational organization with 30 subsidiaries in China alone and 10 more worldwide, according to the company's website. All of the company's brands focus primarily on industrial and automotive parts production.

Lam said Zhongding's global sales last year amounted to about $2 billion and are expected to grow in 2018. He said the Northville Township site also has room for the company to grow.

Meanwhile, Nix said new tax revenues from the entire MITC corridor could be significant for the two townships. Despite a rebound in residential, commercial and industrial property values in recent years, tax revenues have risen slowly because they are tied to the rate of inflation or 5 percent, whichever is less. And the rate of inflation has remained fairly flat.

Nix said MITC development is one way Northville and Plymouth townships can grow their reputations as high-tech, research and development communities while also boosting tax revenues for municipal services.

Contact Darrell Clem at dclem@hometownlife.com. Follow him on Twitter: @CantonObserver.